Switch



April 28, 1942. E. K. READ 2,280,976

SWITCH Filed June 50. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITN ESSES:

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E. K. READ April 28, 1942.

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Byl/ ATTORNE Patented Apr. 28, 1942 SWITCH Ernest K. Read, Forest Hills, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 30, 1939, Serial No. 282,158

7 Claims.

My invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to a multi-polar rotary switch which may be either manually or mechanically actuated.

For controlling the opening and closing movements of circuit breakers, and for controlling electro-responsive devices often associated with circuit breakers, there are provided auxiliary switches actuated in response to operation of the circuit breaker. Since such switches are associated with various types of circuit breakers requiring different sequence and/or timing of operations, and since it is often highly desirable to vary the sequence or timing of operations of a given circuit breaker, it is essential that the auxiliary switches have relatively adjustable contacts. The same type of switch is also often employedy as a metering switch to connect any desired type of meter to a plurality of different circuits. Here, too, relatively adjustable switch contacts are highly desirable.

Switches of this type have been employed heretofore, but have been limited to switches having contacts relatively adjustable only by fixed increments, and having certain other undesirable structural features.

Hence, it is an object of my invention to provide a simplified multi-polar switch having contacts which are relatively adjustable by any desired increments.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a multi-polar switch having relatively adjustable contacts, the position of any one of which may be adjusted without affecting the adjustment of any of the other contacts.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a' multi-polar switch having relatively adjustable contacts, and which is of a rugged and economical construction, and wherein the adjustment of the contacts may be conveniently accomplished by a relatively simple operation without necessitating the use of any special tools.

These and other objects of my invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of one embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view with one of the side walls of the switch casing partly broken away to show the interior construction of my Fig. 1, looking from the left side of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken 4on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, I have shown a switch rotor 2 which is journalled in the end walls 4 of the switch housing structure.

One end wa1l4 has an enlarged aperture 5 through which electrical conductors may be passed for connection to the switch terminals. The lower ends of the end walls 4 are turned outwardly to form apertured base anges 6 for operatively mounting the switch structure on a supporting base. A top wall 8 is secured to the upper ends of the end walls 4 as by the bolts -l passing through the top wall and threadedly engaging in-` wardly turned flanges on the end walls` The bottom wall I2 of the casing is supported onupright corner supporting posts I8 which are secured to the end walls 4 in any desired manner, such, for example, as by welding. The corner posts I8, in turn, support an insulating partition 20 intermediate the top and bottom walls of the housing. The bottom wall of the housing I2 is provided with outwardly extending flange portions I4 for receiving the side wall IB of the housing Which are formed integral with the top wall 8. The top and side walls of the housing, as well as the partition 20, are formed of an insulating material, preferably some molded insulating material.

The partition wall 20 supports the switch terminals 22 which, as shown here, take the form of bolts, and have the cooperating nuts 24 thereon, for clamping a conductor therebetween to the terminals. The terminals 22 have conducting portions (not shown) extending through the partition and connected to contact arms 26. The contact arms are resiliently urged inwardly by coil springs 30, and each contact arm terminates in a contacting portion28.

The switch rotor includes an elongated shaft 32 which is non-circular in cross section, being shown as of hexagonal cross-section. However, any other non-circular shape could be employed.

An insulating sleeve 34 is provided on the shaft 32 over the major part of its length, the sleeve 34 is made of the same cross sectional shape as the shaft and may be of any suitable insulating material, preferably of molded insulating material. Adjacent one end of the shaft on the insulating sleeve 34 is provided a bearing collar 36 having a bearing portion 38, adapted to be received in an aperture in the end wall of the housing, and further having a flange portion 40 adapted to abut against the outer surface of the end wall of the housing, and which flangev portion. has radial apertures 42 therethrough, to cooperate with a diametrical aperture through the shaft 32 to receive a pin 43, to secure the bearing collar to the shaft. The pin 43 may be secured in the apertures, for example, as by being pressed therein.

A pair or contacts 44 are rotatably mounted on the insulating sleeve 34, each Contact including an inner disc-like portion 46, and outer enlarged opposed contact portions 48. The enn larged contact portions provide shoulders 49 between these portions and the inner disc-like portions 46. Positioned at opposite sides of each Contact member are the cup-shaped drive members 50, having central apertures of the same shape as the drive shaft and insulating sleeve` 34, v

so as to be drivingly connected thereto. The anges of the cup-shaped driving members 50 engage immediately beneath the shoulders V49 formed by the enlarged contact portions 48. The driving members 5U may be rigid or may/be formed of resilient material, ii desired.v Positioned between the bearing collar ,411 and the contacts 48 and the end bearing collar -60 are :the insulating spacer members 52,54 and 56. These members preferably arevprovided with-a hexagonal bore so as to be slidably but non-rotatably mounted with respect to shaft 32. The spacer members may be of any desired insulating material, preferably a molded material, and, as

shown, the end spacers 52 and 56 are relatively long, while the intermediate spacer 54 is relatively short but is provided with an insulating disc 58 of the same material as spacer 54, ywhich is suitably secured to theinsulating spacer 54. The bearing collar 6U is rotatably mounted on the insulating sleeve 34 and like thebearing co1- lar 40 is provided with a bearing portion 62, adapted to cooperate vwith an .apartumin the end wall 4 of the switch housing, and ,an outer flanged portion t4 adapted te abut against the outer surface of the adjacent wa11.4. A washer 66 is provided intermediate the bearing sleeve 6l) and a nut 68 threadedly mounted on. the end of the rotor shaft, so that when thenut 68 is drawn up tightly, the parts mounted onthe shaft and insulating sleeve 34 will be clamped tightly together and against the fixed bearing collar 40.

It is noted that the spacing sleeves 52, A54 and 56 bear against portions ofthe drive members Y 5i) which are slightly spaced inwardly from the formed between 'the enlarged Contact portion 44.8' l

of the contact members and the center disc portion v46. of the Contact members especially if the drive members be formed ofV resilient material, thereby obtaining a wedging of thefouter edges of driving members ,50. into the corner beneath contact shoulders 49. Inasmuch as the driving members 50 and Spacer members 52, .5.4 and 58 are in effect keyed to the .shaft 32; the contact members 44, ydue tothe `friction between the space members, driving members 50, and the Contact members, which is augmented by the aforementioned wedgng action, will vbe constrained to rotate with the driving shaft 3.2,.

When it is desired to adjust any one of the contacts relative to vanother contact or to the shaft 32 it is merely necessaryto slightly unscrew the nuty 68, thus releasingV pressure on the parts, then the contact member whichit is desired to adjust may be manually moved` any desided degree relative to the other contact and shaft 32. This movement cannot affect the adjustment of the other contact, inasmuch as all the parts engaged with the othercontact are fixed relative to the shaft and hence are not affected by movement of said one of the contacts about the shaft. After the contact has been adjusted, mere tightening of the nut 68 will secure the same in its adjusted position.

It is obvious that I have provided a vrot-ary contact element for a switch which is extremely simple in design and which embodies relatively adjustable contact elements, any one of which may be adjusted any given amount without affecting the adjustment of the other and such adjustment ycan be effected by manipulation of but one part, that is, the nut 68. v

O n the other end of the shaft 32, there is provided an operating element 'l0 having a pintle portion l2 adapted to be connected to an operating lever associated with the circuit breaker. The operating member is suitably clamped on the shaft, as, for example, by the clamping means 14.

Having described one specific embodiment of my invention in accordance with the patent statutes, I do not desire my invention to be limited thereto. On the other hand, I Wish; that my invention be interpreted as broadly aspossible, inasmuch as it will be obvious, particularly to persons skilled in the art, that many changes and modications may be made in the particular embodiment .disclosed without departing from the broad scope and spirit of my invention. For example, I do not wish to be limited tothe twopole switch illustrated, .since it will be obvious that any desired number of poles may be added to the structure illustrated merely by lengthening the ,rotor sha-it, and applying alternate duplcate spacers and contacts with their driving members. Likewise, the operating member 10 may not be of the type illustrated but could be removed, and a manually operable handle substituted therefor. Therefore I desire Athat the broadest possible construction be given to the following claims and that they be not limited except to what is expressly stated therein.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a switch having an operating shaftand` a plurality of contact members rotatably mounted on said shaft, with each contact member including laterally extending shoulders at opposite sides thereof, the combination of a pair of driving members of flexible material for eachcontact member positioned at said opposite-sides thereof and slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, and means for releasably engaging said contact member and driving members, with the driving members engaging said contact member between the contact shoulders to move the yedges of said driving members into -wedging relation with said contact members.

2. In a switch havinga-n operating shaft and a plurality of contact members rotatably mounted on said shaft with each contact member including laterally extending shoulders at opposite sides thereof, a pair of liexible driving members for each contact member positioned at said 'opposite sides thereof and rfslidably but non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, each of the driving members including lateral projections extending toward its associated contact member to engage beneath the shoulders thereof, respectively, and

rreleasable means for moving said contact andy driving membersinto engagementto drivingly connect the contact members to the shaft.

3. In a switch having an operating shaft and a plurality of contact members rotatably mounted on said shaft with each contact member including laterally extending shoulders at opposite sides thereof, a pair of resilient cup-shaped driving members for each contact member positioned at said opposite sides thereof and sldably but non-rotatably mounted on the shaft, and being of a size such that the flanges thereof engage beneath the contact shoulders, and releasable means for moving said Contact and driving members into engagemet to drivingly connect the contact members to the shaft.

4. In a switch, an operating shaft, a plurality of contact members rotatably mounted on said shaft, each contact member including laterally extending shoulders at opposite sides thereof, a pair of resilient cup-shaped driving members for each contact member positioned at said opposite sides thereof and slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the shaft, and being of a size such that the flanges thereof engage beneath the contact shoulders, spacing members slidably but non-rotatably mounted on said shaft and located between the driving members of adjacent contact members, and means for longitudinally compressing the parts mounted on said shaft to drivingly connect the contact members to the shaft.

5. In a switch, an operating shaft, a contact member rotatably mounted on said shaft, said contact member including spaced, laterally extending side shoulder portions at least on one side thereof, a driving member of flexible materia] for said contact member positioned at said one side thereof and slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, and means for releasably engaging said contact member and driving member, with the driving member engaging the contact member between the contact shoulders to move the edges of said driving member into Wedging relation with said Contact member.

6. In a switch, an operating shaft, a Contact member rotatably mounted on said shaft, said member including spaced laterally extending shoulder portions at least on one side thereof, a resilient driving member for said contact member positioned at said one side thereof and slidably but non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, said driving member including lateral projections extending towards said contact member to engage beneath the shoulders thereof, respectively, and releasable means for moving said contact and driving members into engagement to drivingiy connect the contact member to the shaft, and said releasable means engaging said drive member intermediate said lateral projections to cause them to move laterally into engagement with said shoulders.

7. In a switch, an operating shaft, a contact member rotatably mounted on said shaft, said contact member including spaced laterally extending shoulder portions at least on one side thereof, a resilient cup-shaped driving member for said contact member positioned at said one side thereof and slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the shaft, and being of a size such that the flanges thereof engage beneath the contact shoulders, and releasable means for moving said contact and driving members into engagement to drivingly connect the contact member to the shaft, said releasable means engaging a central portion of said member in a manner to r flatten out said member in a manner to cause edge portions thereof to engage said shoulders.

ERNEST K. READ. 

